Here We Meet Again
by Staralure
Summary: "I promised that we would meet again someday, didn't I?" Sasusaku oneshot.


**Here We Meet Again  
**_Staralure_

* * *

"Sakura! Go after Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as he blocked the barrage of kunais with his own. Sakura flipped backwards, narrowly dodging a shuriken thrown in her direction amidst the mess of the battle.

"I won't be able to persuade him to go back with us you idiot!"

Sakura bent her knees automatically, reaching under both her attackers' fist and grabbing their upper arm. Before they could react, she hurled them onto the ground. The sound of bones cracking could be heard even over the shrill shrieks of pain and battle cries.

Brushing the dirt off her hands, she surveyed her work. The men lay paralyzed in twin dents, eyes wide with fear with their limbs twisted at odd angles

"Bring him back for us. I believe in you." Naruto's mouth stretched into a grimace as red chakra began to envelop his body. His eyes snapped open, revealing the silt shaped eyes of the Kyuubi. Blood red had already clouded over his warm blue eyes, forming a strange purple effect that made everyone take a step back.

Yamato immediately dropped down to one knee, his hands blurring as he formed hand signs that had the sole purpose of keeping the Kyuubi's chakra at bay.

Sai raised his kunai, motioning for Sakura to go with a jerk of his head as he kept his eyes trained on Naruto. His eyes had an uncharacteristic hardness in them.

"Go now!"

Left with no other reasonable choice, Sakura turned away reluctantly and began to run towards the direction where Sasuke had disappeared to. She tightened her fist.

_Naruto, I will bring Sasuke back. That, is a promise._

* * *

Sakura gritted her teeth as she surged forward, determined on completing the task. Her speed increased as she jumped from tree to tree.

She detected the faint sign of Sasuke's chakra a few miles ahead of her. Propelling forward off the branch, she pushed herself to her limits to catch up with Sasuke.

Sasuke turned and scanned his surroundings with a practiced eye. The back of his neck was prickling, sensing a presence behind. Someone was getting nearer to him with each passing minute.

_This chakra signature…Where had I felt it before? _Sasuke pondered quietly as he racked his brains, dead leaves crunching beneath his feet as he navigated around the trees.

He stopped dead in his tracks. His hand flew to the hilt of his katana as recognition flooded his face.

"Sakura!" Sasuke cursed. He quickly came up with a plan. Glancing around, he caught sight of a clearing. _This would be perfect. _

He crouched low behind the bushes and waited.

* * *

_Where is he? _

Sakura tensed when she saw the clearing laid out in front of her.

Landing onto the clearing with a practiced grace, Sakura tugged at the hem of her shirt, suddenly nervous in the wide expanse of the meadow. She closed her eyes, attempting to detect the slightest hint of chakra. Her forehead creased with concentration before smoothing out again a second later.

_Gotcha! But at that position, it can only mean that…_

"Haruno Sakura"

_Predator alert. _

She turned around, achingly slow. She lowered her eyes to his feet and noted that his sandals were a tad too small for him with a detached amusement. Dragging her eyes up his legs, his torso, and finally his shoulders, she stopped only when she met those dark haunting eyes.

_Sasuke…_

* * *

Sasuke held his unsheathed katana in his right hand. His left palm was pressed onto the trunk of a tree, the bark biting into his skin as it supported his weight.

Her eyes flickered to the bush beneath his feet before going back to him again. Thoughts whirred in her mind as she reached for her kunai discreetly.

_He must have realized that I have been following him and decided to ambush me._

"You trapped me." Sakura said, relieved that her voice did not waver.

Her knees automatically sank down to a defence position when she saw Sasuke pushing himself off the tree without any effort. He walked around the bush, coming towards her with his katana grazing the tips of the grass.

Sakura blinked before looking. He looked _bored_.

"Relax. I just want to talk." Sasuke replied calmly, gazing up at the trees before looking back at Sakura.

"I do not want to hurt you."

At that statement, Sakura looked up from Sasuke's katana and straight into his eyes in surprise before adverting them away quickly, remembering the effects that the sharingan can cause on its victim. The kunoichi started to brood about the dilemma of facing Sasuke, giving a low, sarcastic chuckle that reached only her own ears. .

_Talk? Ha don't make me laugh! Since when has he ever spared a thought for anyone else's feelings?_

Upon realizing that Sakura wasn't going to him any time soon, Sasuke sighed. _The next logical step would be to get rid of her. But…Naruto would definitely chop me into pieces and feed me to the crows._

"How about this, Sakura? Let's make a deal. You stop trying to force me back to Konoha, and I'll spare your life."

The arched eyebrows and narrowed emerald eyes clearly indicated her disbelief. Sasuke ignored them.

"Is it a deal?"

Sakura became silent, memories flashing through her mind, and none of them were all too pleasant. The girl visibly cringed and shuddered as she recalled the event that had happened a few years ago.

_(__"I love you with all my heart!" Sakura screamed. Her heart was shattered as tears streamed down her face. Her hands were clenched in front of her chest. She clutched the spot where her heart lies, pressing hard to ease the pain, trying hard to force the tears back._

_"You're annoying." Sasuke turned around and flashed a smirk towards Sakura. She caught sight of his eyes. Her breath caught. His eyes danced with mischief, even as her heart gave another painful throb. Hope rose in her heart before plummeting down again as she look at Sasuke's now parting back._

_"Don't leave! If you leave, I'll scream!"_

_Sasuke disappeared in a flicker of blue. Sakura's eyes widen. Her lower lip trembled when she felt his presence behind her. _

'_He's fast...'_

_Silence enveloped the duo. The wind rustled through the leaves, the sound unnaturally loud in the silent mysterious night. Even the crickets were at rest. Sasuke finally broke the peace._

_Sakura felt a sharp pain at the base of her neck. Her limbs started to go soft. She tried to concentrate on what Sasuke was saying as her vision faded in and out of focus, lethargy threatening to overtake her senses._

_"Sakura...Thank you."_

_Darkness enveloped her mind. )_

Sasuke observed the pink-haired kunoichi quietly, eyes moving up and down her silhouette flittingly. _She now has the determined eyes of a kunoichi; I remember how they used to contain the innocence of a young child._

A small smile flickered across his lips for just a second before disappearing back into his calm façade.

"Are you happy here?"

"Yes." Sasuke simply answered after a moment's hesitation.

_Am I really happy?_

Sakura composure faltered. She dropped her defensive stance, her fist unravelled. Her body stiff, she stood there awkwardly, staring at the long strands of grass swaying in the wind.

Her eyes finally met his without fear.

"Come back Sasuke. Come back to Konoha." Sakura pleaded in a barely audible voice, looking straight into the dark orbs. Her fingers tangled into her shirt, wrinkling the soft material. "You can still be happy in Konoha, if not happier. Remember the days that we spent as Team Seven…"

A torrent of memories rushed into Sasuke's mind and he immediately pushed them away, locking them into the deep recesses of his mind, into the chest of happy memories.

_I can't think about memories now._

Sasuke questioned the task on hand, tapping his fingers against the hilt of the katana. A slight frown marred his features. His foot subconsciously toyed with dirt as he thought, tracing circles.

Sakura's gaze had been earnest_. _But he simply can'tgo back to Konoha now that he knew the truth.

The goddamn truth_. _He can't pretend that nothing had happened. If he went back to Konoha, he would eventually do something that would hurt those whom he cared about, again_._

He's now considered a traitor to the village. He can't just saunter back and expect everything to be as it was years ago.

He shook his head, avoiding her gaze.

"Sakura, I can't."

"Why not?"

Sasuke remained silent, sheathing his katana in a single practiced move.

Sakura just couldn't understand that churlishUchiha_. _Glaring daggers at the ground, she had to resist the temptation to stamp her foot. _If only the ground would rear up and strike that idiot in the head._

_I do not care. Either he goes back to Konoha with us willingly, or we will drag his sorry ass back!_

Sakura eyed the sheathed katana.

"Sasuke-kun." Sasuke's eyes snapped back to Sakura, surprised at the sound of the familiar suffix.

Sakura pulled at the cuffs of her gloves and flexed her fingers. Her knuckles cracked threateningly. Unwavering determination burned in her eyes.

"I'll give you two choices." Sakura held up two gloved fingers, and slowly lowered one down.

"One, come back to Konoha of your own free will like a good little boy."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and hardened.

Sakura lowered another finger, forming a fist.

"Two, fight me. If you win, I will leave you alone. But if I win, I will be dragging you back to Konoha. You willcome back to Konoha, even if i have to drag your stupid bruised body back myself."

Sasuke had to admit that he was amused, his earlier annoyance dissipating immediately._ There's no way she would be able to win me. The end of the battle is already determined. _

He watched as the raised hand went back to her side and formed a fist.

Keeping an eye on the kunoichi, Sasuke carefully went over the options, weighing the pros and cons. He carefully moulded his expression into one of disinterest.

* * *

Sakura knew his decision the moment he looked straight into her eyes. His sharingan was ablaze, the three tomes spinning wildly.

His slid his katana out of the sheath and held it ready in front of him.

"I choose. Option two."

Sakura bobbed her head sharply. Shifting her stance, she prepared for combat. Her eyes narrowed into emerald slits.

"I expected that."

"Sakura. Can't you just give up for once?"

Sakura brought her hands up to her shoulders. She flexed her fingers and curled them into a fist. The leather glove moved smoothly with her hand. The great Uchiha actually pleaded with her.

Him. Pleading.

Miracles do exist after all.

"No." Sakura replied curtly and lunged towards him, left fist held high up, aimed directly for his ribs. Sasuke step-sided the blow with ease.

He watched as Sakura's blow shattered the tree behind him into pieces. Splinters of wood flew in the air. Dust settled onto his hair and clothes.

_She's a challenge. I will have fun sparing with her. _He smirked.

Sakura turned around and saw Sasuke a few steps behind her. His amused expression only served to fuel her anger.

_Damn it! _

"You would have to do a lot better than that if you want to defeat me. I know you can do better than this Sakura." Sasuke taunted the irritated kunoichi.

She dipped her hand into her kunai holster. Her fingers came into contact with the hilt of a kunai and she curled her fingers around it, holding it in a tight grip. The familiar weight of the kunai was strangely comforting.

"I would definitely be able to defeat you if you deactivate your sharingan Sasuke." Sakura retorted and rushed at Sasuke with the kunai.

He blocked it with his katana. Sakura channelled her chakra to the kunai, praying that it will stay put and not give in to the katana as Sasuke increased the pressure against it. His katana pressed down against the kunai forcefully.

Emerald clashed with onyx as she looked up. Their faces were mere inches away from each other. An indescribable aura settled over the both of them. Time seemed to stop for a moment. All movements ceased to exist. Only the sound of their hard breathing could be heard.

Sakura broke off the contact. Slashing her kunai upwards, she managed to force Sasuke to release the attack in order to move a step back to avoid getting his face sliced at. Stumbling back a few steps, she immediately positioned her arm readjusted her grip on her weapon.

The sharp point of the kunai in her hand glinted in the sunlight as it pointed at Sasuke. She looked at him apprehensively, warily.

He had deactivated his sharingan.

_What does that mean? Are you giving in to me? Sasuke, why must everything be so complicated with you?_

_I hate boys. _

Sasuke allowed his eyebrow to arch upwards in a rare show of surprise. He had expected the kunai to break under his katana, even with the chakra strengthening it. He scrutinized her closely.

_I've underestimated you._

Sasuke walked towards Sakura, forcing her to take several steps backwards to maintain the distance in between them. His steps were slow, steady, menacing. Sakura felt herself shudder unconsciously as she kept her eyes on his feet. Suddenly, he stopped.

"I will prove to you that I can defeat you even without my sharingan."

Sakura glared at him.

_Egoistic bastard. _

Sasuke had sheathed his katana and dropped it onto the ground. It rolled a little way before disappearing under the bush.

"You pompous idiot!"

Eyes burning, Sakura clenched her fist and ran head on towards Sasuke. He caught hold of her fist with a hand and his features contorted into one of pain and shock. Sakura had slashed her kunai over his other arm when he was distracted. The sound of ripping flesh and skin could be heard.

Sasuke winced, feeling his skin and muscle being tugged and sliced at beneath the sharp weapon. He let go and pushed Sakura away from him, holding a hand against the wound.

Skidding back a few steps, Sakura brought her hand to the ground to steady herself before straightening up.

The blood that stained the kunai slid down the dark metal. Sakura's twitched her nose at the metallic scent of blood. It dripped down steadily, dyeing the grass dark red. Her grip tightened.

She glanced at the wound, mildly horrified, turning a deaf ear to the medic that screamed for her to run over and heal his arm.

Sasuke gingerly removed his hand from the injury. It stung, but what was unnerving was that Sakura had caught him off guard. He kept his expression neutral as he inspected the wound.

"I see that your skills have improved." Sakura's head shot up at the praise. Her jaw slackened and dropped open in shock.

_Is he __complimenting__ me?_

"Let's set a rule. I do not think that we want to kill each other by accident." Sasuke said, discreetly keeping his eyes on Sakura's kunai.

Despite herself, Sakura smirked.

_Hah! Guess he will finally take me seriously._

"No weapons."

Sakura unbuckled her weapon holster and dropped it onto the ground together with the kunai. The weapons inside clinked.

"Fine. I don't need weapons to kick your ass."

"Hn."

Sakura glared at him as he crouched down, ready to attack.

Sasuke watched Sakura as she stretched and cracked her knuckles.

Neither the shinobi nor the qunoichi were willing to take the first move. The trees swayed. The whooshing of the wind was amplified; whispering as it swept through the leaves and long grass.

Suddenly, Sasuke struck. The only warning that Sakura got was a flicker as he appeared in front of her, obstructing her view of the trees. His fist was drawn back. Sakura retaliated with a punch of her own, drawing her arm and shoulder back.

She found thin air in front of her as she jabbed at where Sasuke was less than a second before.

"Good reflexes, Sakura. But not good enough."

Sakura's eyes widen and she immediately did a somersault to the front to avoid Sasuke's fingers. Her foot missed Sasuke's jaw by a centimetre.

Sakura turned around and stared accusingly at Sasuke, ready to curse at him. She found him standing with his hands hidden in his clothes, his eyes calm and unreadable, gazing at the forest behind her.

Her shoulders slumped.

_He tried to knock me out by channelling his chakra to the acupoint behind my neck. He didn't even intend to spar. He's just trying to knock me out just like the day he left Konoha. _Adrenaline abandoned her as the memory came rushing back. _Just like the day when he left Konoha. When he knocked me unconscious and left me on a bench. _

She grew sombre. She stared at her feet

A minute passed. Neither of them made a move to start another fight. Sasuke was about to speak when Sakura interrupted him.

"So that's how you knock me unconscious the day you left Konoha."

Sasuke's eyes flickered over to Sakura, only to find her head down. Her hair had fallen over her face, hiding her eyes from his view. She made no attempt to brush them away.

Sasuke had never seen her look so forlorn.

_Sakura…_

"I've always suspected that's how you knocked me unconscious. Guess I was right huh."

He remained silent.

Her lips quirked into a bitter smile.

"I've always wanted to ask you. Why did you leave a perfectly good home? You spoiled everything. Things were going so well. We were happy…until you left."

Sasuke could only continue looking apprehensively at Sakura while she rambled on.

"When you left, I wanted to hide under the blankets and cry for hours. When Naruto left on a mission to find you, I was left alone, useless. It reminded me of the times when I could not do anything, except to watch you and Naruto fight to protect me."

Sakura reached up and tucked her hair behind her forehead protector . Tears were shimmering at the corners of her eyes.

"I decided that I won'tbe useless. I wanted to protect those whom I care for with my own abilities. I want to be the one doing the protecting, instead relying on others to protect me."

At this, Sakura looked at Sasuke straight in the eye. Sasuke had to admire her courage to display her feelings so openly_. _

"I just want to ask you a few questions." Sakura paused, waiting for Sasuke's response.

"Tch, what is it?"

Sakura laughed softly. The old Sasuke that she fell in love with was still there, hidden beneath this tough and uncaring exterior. She missed him so much.

She asked.

"Why did you leave me lying on the bench?"

The question was mumbled and barely audible. But Sasuke caught it. He sighed softly, wondering how to explain this without hurting his pride or her feelings.

" I couldn't just leave you lying on the ground after all that you have done."

Sakura nodded sadly, accepting his explanation. _And I thought…_"Then…what happened to you? What happened between you and Itachi? Rumours about the two Uchiha brothers traveling together had been spreading around."

Sasuke eyes narrowed dangerously. His hands had clenched into fists at the mere mention of Itachi's name. Taking in deep breaths slowly, he forced himself to relax.

Sakura saw his reaction and backed a few steps away from the obviously fuming Uchiha before stopping herself. Sheer will kept her rooted to the spot as she waited for Sasuke's answer. She pressed both of her hands together, trying to stop them from trembling.

_He's still intimidating._

"Madara killed him."

Sakura's jaw went slacked.

_This is impossible! How could the Uchiha prodigy been killed by Madara Uchiha? Isn't Madara already dead? _She pressed Sasuke for answers, forgetting about his unstable mental situation.

"How? I thought that _you _killed Itachi-san, Sasu-"

"I couldn't! After I learnt about the truth, I couldn't bring myself to kill him!"

"Sasuke?" Sakura was afraid. Sasuke had never acted like this before. He had always been composed.

"After I learnt the truth, I couldn't hurt him."

"What truth?" Sakura looked at Sasuke tentatively. Pity coursed through her. Sasuke was trembling, fists clenched, head down, long ebony bangs covering his face. It was the nearest thing to an emotional breakdown that she had ever seen from him.

Suddenly, he looked just like a ten-year-old boy, lost and confused.

"The massacre. The Konoha elders ordered Itachi to slaughter the Uchiha clan to prevent a ninja war."

Sakura's brow furrowed. That went against all the rumours that she had heard. It would be ridiculous to expect Sasuke to shed light on the matter but…

"Sasuke? Can you explain?"

Her reply was in his crimson eyes.

* * *

_Images flashed across Sakura's eyes before freezing at a particular one._

_The council room situated in Konoha. _

_The Konoha elders were sitting in a semicircle around a table, some look mildly amused, leaning forward in their seats while the others were frowning, palms down on the table. Their eyes were all trained on the man in front of them. _

_Sakura thought that the man's back looked vaguely familiar._

"_If any of you dare to lay a single finger on him, I swear that I will come back and destroy Konoha."_

_The cold musical voice brought back not-so-pleasant memories. _

_Itachi__Uchiha__**.**_

_Sasuke materialized beside Sakura, startling her out of her thoughts. _

"_You are caught in my genjutsu, Sakura. Don't worry, I won't harm you."_

_Sakura nodded silently and turned back to the scene, just in time to see the elders nod wearily. The scene swirled, red and black, and was replaced with one of Danzo. _

_He was unwrapping the bandages that lined his arm, looking at the stack of papers laid out on his desk with a slight frown. _

_Curious, Sakura walked forward and took a glimpse at the notes. _

_Sketches of sharingan eyeballs covered the pieces of paper, all with detailed notes about the welder to the diameter of the eyes and the power they hold beside the drawings._

_Sakura's eyes widened comically as she glanced down the page, recoiling with horror as Danzo sifted through the drawings. "What…" _

_Sasuke answered her unasked question. _

"_Danzo schemed the massacre. His only motive was to gain our eyes so that he could create a new jutsu by lining his arm with them. Itachi found out about this when he went back to Konoha to spy on the elders."_

_Sakura's gaze was drawn to Danzo's arm. She choked back a nauseous gasp at the sight before her. _

_Before she could look at Danzo's disfigured arm in detail, the image swirled and was replaced by a battleground with Madara and Sasuke. _

_Madara was speaking to a seemingly stunned Sasuke. _

_Sasuke spoke quietly beside her._

"_Madara was also involved in the massacre. He told me the truth about what happened. I confronted Itachi after this. I was prepared to kill Danzo for what he had done, but he stopped me. _

_He refused to let me go, calling my decision reckless and childish. It would have sparked a third ninja war. If I went, his sacrifice would have been pointless. He made me promise that I would not go and seek revenge. We decided to travel together. For a time, we__were happy."_

_Sakura tore her eyes from the scene in front of her and glanced at him. _

_His bangs were now hiding his face from Sakura's view. Peeking past those strands of midnight blue hair, Sakura spotted two glowing red orbs. _

_Eyes devoid of emotion. _

_Sasuke…_

_He pressed on, turning his head slightly to the side to hide his eyes again._

_"But Madara found us. He demanded for our assistance in capturing the tailed beast. Itachi refused to."_

_"We fought. Madara had me at sword end. He tried to force Itachi to agree to his insane plans in exchange for my life. In the end, through sheer luck, I kicked Madara out of the way and escaped his grip. He got enraged and threw his sword straight at me before I could even retaliate._

_Itachi saw the sword coming. There wasn't enough time. He shielded me with his own body, protecting me, sacrificing his life._

_I got furious and adrenaline gave me the strength to kill Madara. I sneaked back into Konoha and buried Itachi beside our parents and caught sight of Danzo. The temptation to kill him…it was overwhelming. I tore away from Konoha and swore to never go back again. I don't want to end up killing everyone."_

_The genjutsu world swirled again before Sakura's eyes, this time bringing them back to reality._

* * *

Sakura stared at the boy in front of her. He regarded her calmly as his eyes faded back to onyx.

"So that's why you can't go back to Konoha."

"Yes. Are you still going to drag me back now that you understand everything?"

"But…you could go for counselling! Or something! Danzo's already dead. I am sure that you would be able to overcome this if you put your mind to it Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke hid a smile at the familiar suffix.

"Be reasonable Sakura. I can't go back and just pretend nothing had happened. There's no turning back in this situation. If you really intend to drag me back, be prepared to fight."

Sakura shut her gaping mouth, eyes growing downcast. Her earlier excitement deserted her, leaving her grim.

_I guess his brother's confession and death really changed him. The Sasuke I used to know has matured._

"Sasuke, I'm sorry."

"Sakura, I want to tell you something."

Sakura looked up at Sasuke. Her eyes were shiny. Sasuke realized with a jolt that she was trying to hold back her tears. He paused, before continuing as Sakura motioned at him to go on with a toss of her head. She clenched her hands into fists.

"Sakura, even though I always act nonchalant, I treasure you a lot. More than you ever think. Apart from that crazy idiot, Kakashi-sensei, Itachi and my parents, you are the only one who managed to worm your way into my life. A place in my heart will always, always_, _belong to you. Don't ever forget that."

Sakura swallowed past the lump in her throat. Tears threatened to spill over onto her cheeks.

_Those are the most sincere words that I have ever heard you utter._

"Don't go soft on me"

Without another word, they began to spar.

* * *

Sasuke was patiently wearing her down, rarely attacking her straight on. An arm blocked every fist that Sakura threw. Every kick was dodged. She was getting exhausted, both physically and mentally as Sasuke flitted around and dodged almost every single one of her blows.

_All I need is a good punch to his gut…_

Sasuke suddenly dropped down to the ground. His leg swept out, aiming to knock Sakura off her balance.

As expected, Sakura jumped over his leg. While Sakura was in mid-jump, Sasuke reached out and hooked his elbow around her knee with lightning speed.

Sakura's eyes widened when she realized Sasuke's plan.

Sasuke jerked his arm forward sharply, successfully upsetting her balance. Helpless, Sakura crashed onto the ground. She lay there, gasping. Her eyes were closed, her breath short and erratic. Her pink hair fanned out behind her head, limbs spread out haphazardly.

Sasuke kneeled down, carefully avoiding Sakura's hands and looked at her. Bruises lined his arms, sweat was pouring over his exposed chest and dripping down from his hair. He winced as the wound on his arm opened _again._

_Sakura, you were a bigger challenge than I thought. But that is a good thing. It means that you are strong._

"Are you going to give up that easily, Sakura?" Sasuke smirked as Sakura opened an eye to glance at him.

True to her stubborn nature, Sakura stood up. Her hand was pressed to the side of her stomach and her back was bent over in pain. Shakily, her back straightened. She looked at Sasuke in the eye.

"Sasuke, I would never give up."

Sasuke closed his eyes before opening them again, crouching down and ready to give the final blow when the opportunity arises. A bitter taste filled his mouth as he thought about what he'd have to do. He clenched his jaw.

Sakura threw a weak punch towards Sasuke, her whole body lurching along with it. Her chakra was almost spent. Sasuke saw the opportunity.

Sasuke dodged the punch by going under her outstretched arm. Straightening up quickly, he aimed for a high kick towards her chest. A thud echoed as sandal hit against bone and flesh. Sakura's eyes widen as her body flew straight towards a tree. Cold air rushed past her face, causing goose bumps to rise at the back of her neck. Her hair was flying everywhere. Sakura knew that she had lost the fight. Her body went limp

Through half-opened eyes, Sakura watched as Sasuke disappeared in a flurry of leaves. _Goodbye Sasuke…I'm sorry that I can't bring you back to Konoha…_

Half unconscious, she felt someonegrabbing her waist from behind, curling around her body and pulling her close. Warm breath puffed on the top of her head and she heard a grunt when they came to a sudden stop. Her breath whooshed out of her lungs and she gasped, squeezing her eyes shut. Her head was pounding.

Sakura shuddered. _If I had reached the tree at such a high speed and made direct contact with it… _Feeling the warm body behind her and the arms tight around her waist, the corners of her lips quirked upwards involuntarily.

_Sasuke, you ready do care for me, don't you?_

Minutes passed as they rested there, her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and limp in his arms.

Slowly, Sasuke untangled himself from Sakura and gently laid her against the tree. He crouched in front of her, wincing.

He inspected Sakura, gently brushing her hair back from her face. She looked dead tired.

Wisps of pink fair fluttered around and framed her face as she gave a tired smile.

"Sasuke…"

"Tch. I told you not to try fighting me."

Sakura laughed softly. Darkness was creeping up from the edges of her vision. She made a wild grab for his hand, and felt his fingers close around hers in a firm grip. His thumb brushed against her bruised knuckles softly.

"Will I see you again?"

"Sakura, look at me."

Sakura squinted, trying to focus for Sasuke. It was getting harder to remain conscious. Sasuke's face appeared in front of her before disappearing. Her heartbeat increased tenfold. _He was smiling._

It was the best sight that she had ever seen.

Sakura felt a pair of arms reach out and envelop her. Sasuke rested his head on the top of hers. Her forehead was pressed against his chest, mingling their sweat together. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent, revelling in the feeling of being protected in his arms.

Her arms automatically went around Sasuke. She gripped his clothes tightly, unwilling to let him go. His lips slowly formed words.

"Sakura, we will meet again someday. I promise."

Sasuke pulled back. Her hands slipped away from his back. The last thing that Sakura felt as she slipped into darkness was a hand wiping sweat and grime away from her face. A kiss lingered on her forehead, gentle and sweet.

* * *

"Sakura! It's time to wake up!" Sakura sat straight out of bed upon hearing her mother's pleasant voice. Groaning, she fell back into the still warm bed with a soft thump, pulling her pillow over her head.

"Sakura? Are you awake?" Her mother was walking up the stairs, Sakura snuggled deeper into the covers.

"Morning Mum." Sakura mumbled from under the pillow, unwilling to get up from bed.

"Dress up and come down for breakfast, sweetie. It's the first day of a new term."

Sakura nodded sleepily, groaning when her mother pulled the pillow away from her face.

Stretching and gently patting her face a few times, she swung out of bed and made her way to the bathroom. She frowned as she remembered the dream from the night before. It was still hauntingly vivid in her mind.

_It was…freakish. How did I even come up with the guy…what's his name? Sasuke. Everything seemed so realistic…_

Shrugging her thoughts off, Sakura went into the bathroom to get a shower.

* * *

"Ino!"

The cold stinging air bit at Sakura's cheeks, turning them into a rosy pink colour as she swung her arms in the air wildly.

"Sakura!"

She giggled and lunged forward, hugging Ino and causing said blonde to laugh.

"Let go Sakura! You are suffocating me."

"I haven't seen you for a long time! How was your holiday?"

Ino was about to reply when they were interrupted.

"Hi Sakura, Ino."

Sakura broke free of the hug and turned towards Naruto. Her smile faded when she saw the state that Naruto was in.

Naruto looked pale and worn out. Dark eye bags hung under his eyes. Sakura frowned.

"Naruto! You look awful! What happened?"

"Nothing much. I couldn't sleep well last night after that."

Sakura looked at Naruto with concern before dropping the matter. The trio walked towards their homeroom, the girls hooking arms and chattering away while Naruto followed behind them quietly.

* * *

"Yo." The class gradually quietened down as a masked man walked into the room. A few excited whispers flitted around before stopping when he raised a hand, demanding for the class's attention.

"You're late again Kakashi-sensei!"

The whole class laughed, used to his tardiness.

Kakashi's eyes crinkled.

"Ahh. You see, there was a new student today and I had to fill up the pape-"

"You're lying!"

Sakura laughed along with the class and glanced over at Naruto. The usually boisterous boy seemed unnaturally quiet today as the class teased their teacher. When she caught sight of Naruto, she smiled and giggled inwardly. _No wonder…_

Naruto was sitting with Hinata, engrossed in their conversation. Hinata's face turned beet-red as Naruto reached out and brushed her hair out of her eyes. His hand lingered at Hinata's cheek for just a tad too long.

Sakura giggled and smiled fondly. _Naruto's been so blind for the past few months! Ino had to practically tell him that Hinata likes him straight to his face._

After observing the couple for a few more seconds, Sakura turned her attention back to the class. Kakashi had held up both of his hands, palm side up. "But it's true!"

Silence reigned over the class again. Sakura fidgeted, squirming about in the hard plastic chair.

Kakashi put down his hand, stuffing them deep into the pockets of his coat. "Please come in Sasuke."

Sakura froze. Wide-eyed, she glanced at the partially closed door. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the sides of her chair tightly. Her lips parted and formed a small 'o'.

_Sasuke? But…Isn't he…_

A pale hand appeared, pushing the door open. Spiky ebony bangs hung around a pale, elegantly shaped face. Dark enchanting eyes swept through the whole class and rested a tad longer on Naruto and Sakura. His lips quirked into an all too familiar smirk.

The whole class fell silent as the mysterious guy strode to the front of the class. Kakashi smiled under his mask and waved his hand vaguely towards Sasuke's direction.

"This is Uchiha Sasuke. He would be joining our class from today onwards."

Squeals of fan girls had already erupted throughout the class.

"But…but…y_-_youare that bastard from my dream last night!"

An awkward silence settled over the class as all heads turned to Naruto. His eyes were bulging, his face pale. His jaw was slack with shock. Hinata was biting her lip, looking worried as she glanced at him. Someone giggled. Others merely looked at him like he was insane. A guy on the desk next to him slid his chair away from Naruto. Murmurs swept throughout the room, breaking the silence.

Goosebumps erupted across Sakura's skin. She shivered, glancing at the new guy to gauge his reaction.

Sasuke and Kakashi both ignored the loud blond's sudden outburst. Sasuke's eyes flicked over to Sakura. She immediately looked down. Staring at her hands, she placed them flat onto the table, trying to stop them from trembling.

"Now Sasuke, why don't you find a seat and settle down?"

The fan girls erupted into excited giggles and murmurs.

Sakura kept her eyes trained on his shoes as they came nearer and nearer before stopping right beside her. Whines replaced the giggles from the fan girls when he pulled out the chair next to hers and slid into it smoothly.

Sakura tensed. She stared at her desk. Slowly, she peeked at him, only to find him staring at her blatantly.

Startled, she whipped her head around and pretended to be paying attention to the class.

She could feel his insistent gaze on her. She shivered, feeling chills travelling up her spine. Taking in deep breaths, She plastered what must be the fakest smile ever on her face and turned around, making sure to avoid staring at his eyes.

"Hi I'm Sakura. You're Sasuke right?"

After a few seconds of waiting for a response, Sakura got annoyed when he remained silent. She glanced up, preparing to give him the death glare.

He was smiling faintly. She faltered, blinking when he shifted closer to her. Gulping, she turned back to face the front.

His eyes. They were just so familiar. They made her feel nervous and yet safe at the same time.

She turned her head slightly, discreetly, hoping to get another glimpse of the devastatingly beautiful stranger.

Jumping, she realized that Sasuke's face had gotten extremelyclose to hers. Eyes wide, she fumbled and immediately turned back to the front, trying to slow down her pounding heart.

_His breath tickled her ear. His lips began to form words._

Her face paled as she waited with a pounding heart.

_Lub-dub. Lub-dub._

Somehow, she knew just what he would be saying.

Sasuke smirked. A shiver ran up and down Sakura's spine as he gently took her hand in his and entwined their fingers. His thumb brushed gently over her knuckles.

He breathed into her ear.

_"I promised that we would meet again someday, didn't I?"_

* * *

**A/N :** Soooooo I'm finally done with all the editing! I wrote this a couple of years before, when I was still young and happy and innocent. I just corrected a couple of spelling mistakes and made it easier to read at some places. It isn't a great piece of work, but I am really proud of it (my first one shot ever!) and I spent quite a number of hours on it. Please tell me your thoughts on this story and I'll see you guys soon! :D

Constructive criticism is highly appreciated.

For my boyfriend 3


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